Day 339: Die Prinzen

One of the most popular bands from Saxony is Die Prinzen, a pop a cappella group that formed in the last years of the GDR in Leipzig. I think their Saxon roots are part of why they’re so popular around here. Their lyrics are often quite ironic, and I personally like their music. Here you can see them in action in two videos of their biggest hits:

This last song is a critique of the stale patriotism that’s so common in Germany, and its lyrics include ironic lines like: “We are modest, we have money, we are the best at every sport,” “there’s only one small thing wrong here: Schumacher doesn’t drive a Mercedes” (it rhymes in German, I swear), or more explicit lines like: “There are people who like to complain about foreigners, and every year they travel to Thailand to have sex.”

The reason I’m telling you about this band is that its members have been like companions throughout my Erasmus year. Since the day I arrived I’ve been running into them everywhere in Dresden, as they appeared on all the bus shelters around the city as the image of Freiberger, one of the local beers.

The thing is, these people, with their perfectly foamy beers in hand, have been showing me from the beginning what was expected of me in each season of my Erasmus year. In autumn, when it’s cold, the best thing is to be with friends at a bar:

At Christmas and during the winter, the best thing is to enjoy the snow:

And when the good weather comes, it’s time to enjoy the outdoors, to travel and have barbecues:

And let’s not forget the World Cup:

So, after keeping me company all year long — sometimes while I was waiting for the bus or tram at night after coming back from a party, under the immense German silence and freezing cold — I’ve grown fond of them. Especially the three band members who must not be as important and always get placed behind the others.

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